Just after returning to the shelter, Ethan received a message through the Exchange.
"Boss, are you looking for fresh flowers? How many do you need?"
"You actually have flowers? They’re not poisonous, are they?" Ethan replied, a little surprised to get a response so quickly.
He had assumed everyone was too busy struggling to survive. Even if someone came across beautiful flowers, as long as they weren’t poisonous, they’d probably eat them.
"Nope. Boss, I spawned in a huge grassland. Fresh flowers are the one thing we have in abundance here."
"I’ve eaten flowers to stave off hunger before, but they aren’t very filling. They’re more like an occasional snack. Do you really need them?"
After sending the message, the other party attached the descriptions of several flower varieties.
After checking them, Ethan confirmed they were indeed non-toxic. Some of them had even been planted as ornamental flowers in parks and roadside flowerbeds back on Earth.
"What do you want in exchange?"
"Honestly, I’m not short on food or water. Could we add each other as friends? If not... I’d be happy with some meat."
Seeing the reply, Ethan smiled.
"Why do you want to add me?"
"Boss, everyone’s struggling just to stay alive right now."
"But you’re shopping for flowers."
"That tells me you’re living pretty comfortably. Even if you’re not, you must need them to craft something."
"Flowers probably aren’t used to make everyday necessities."
"It’s not like you’re making flower pastries."
"So I figured you’re doing pretty well. If I add you now, maybe one day you can save my life."
The man was surprisingly straightforward.
Rather than taking advantage of him, Ethan replied,
"No problem. We can add each other."
"I need a lot of flowers."
"Give me five hundred of each variety."
"I’ll pay you ten pieces of fresh meat, ten bottles of drinking water—three hundred milliliters each—and I’ll throw in a lighter."
"Thank you, Boss! You’re awesome! I’ll start picking flowers right away!"
After exchanging friend requests, the man hurried off to gather flowers.
Ethan glanced at his new contact’s username.
Gongsun Yang.
Quite an unusual name.
Afterward, Ethan called Claire Quinn and Emily Gale over.
Without beating around the bush, he said,
"I’m going to build a cemetery."
"I’m just waiting for the final materials from another Survivor."
"So your companions’ urns will have to stay in storage a little longer."
"Once the cemetery is finished, we’ll give them a proper burial."
Both Claire and Emily looked deeply grateful.
"Thank you."
"There’s only one bedroom in the shelter for now."
"You’ll have to make do sleeping on floor bedding."
Claire smiled and shook her head.
"That’s hardly a hardship."
"Honestly... even sleeping on the floor here is far better than where I used to live."
As she spoke, her gaze drifted toward the bathroom.
For survivors like them...
Even taking a bath was considered a luxury.
Noticing where she was looking, Ethan smiled.
"The bathroom and restroom are yours to use."
"Help yourselves."
"You can also pick out whatever bedding and clothes you want."
With that, he took out the blankets, clothes, and other supplies he had collected earlier.
"Thank you."
This time, both Claire and Emily genuinely smiled.
However, when they recognized some of the familiar clothes and bedding from their former camp...
The smiles gradually turned into sadness.
Ethan chose not to comfort them.
Some grief simply had to be worked through on its own.
Besides...
In a world like this, people either learned to move forward quickly...
Or they died.
By dinnertime, Claire and Emily had both finished bathing and changed into clean clothes.
They had even washed Ethan’s and Natasha’s dirty clothes, which were now hanging outside to dry.
Ethan was pleased by how considerate they were.
Naturally, he treated everyone equally.
Dinner consisted of grilled meat and bread for everyone.
As they ate, Ethan said,
"In a few more days, the vegetables I planted should be ready."
"Our meals will become a lot more varied."
Claire swallowed her mouthful of bread before replying,
"This is already far better than what we’re used to."
Emily’s cheeks were stuffed full of grilled meat like a little hamster.
Unable to speak, she simply nodded enthusiastically in agreement.
"You’re both still recovering."
"Stay home tomorrow."
"Guard the shelter and take care of the crops."
Previously, Ethan had always gone scavenging with Natasha and Brutus, leaving the shelter completely unattended.
He hadn’t had much choice.
There simply hadn’t been enough people.
Now that Claire and Emily had joined them, someone could finally stay behind.
Besides, the shelter belonged to him.
Unless he died...
No one else could claim ownership.
The real concern wasn’t theft of the shelter itself.
It was other Survivors sneaking in while he was away...
Stealing supplies...
Or simply burning the place down.
As for Claire and Emily...
Although they had only joined recently, their loyalty had already risen from 60 to 70.
That wasn’t high enough for them to risk their lives for Ethan.
But it was more than enough for him to trust them with guarding the shelter.
Besides...
He already had plans to deepen their sense of belonging.
Just after dinner, another message arrived from Gongsun Yang.
"Boss, I’ve picked all the flowers you wanted. Ready to trade?"
"Sure."
Once the trade was complete, Gongsun Yang sent one last message.
"Boss, if you ever need anything else, just let me know!"
"Will do. Keep in touch."
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Ethan led the still-confused Claire and Emily outside the shelter.
"What do you think?"
"If we build the cemetery..."
"Where should it go?"
Hearing that the cemetery was finally being built, both women became visibly emotional.
After taking a deep breath, Claire surveyed the surrounding area.
A moment later, she pointed toward an open space to the west.
"Since the shelter will probably expand in the future..."
"It’s better not to put the cemetery on valuable land."
"That spot is perfect."
"It’s close enough that visiting won’t be inconvenient."
"Sounds good."
"Let’s go."
Even though they were close to the shelter, it was already nighttime.
So the entire group—Ethan, Natasha, Brutus, Claire, and Emily—headed out together to the chosen location.
With a wave of his hand, Ethan took out the Sea of Flowers Blueprint from his inventory.
[Required materials detected. Construct the Sea of Flowers?]
"Construct."
The instant he answered, the blueprint dissolved into countless glowing motes that drifted toward the selected site like a swarm of fireflies.
Moments later...
Low stone walls rose silently from the ground.
They stood only about half a meter tall.
Rather than serving as fortifications...
They simply marked the cemetery’s boundaries.
Then...
Flowers began blooming.
Countless varieties swayed gently in the breeze, gradually forming a breathtaking sea of vibrant colors.
In the middle of an endless desert...
The sight of such a magnificent flower field brought an unexpected sense of peace.
When the Sea of Flowers was finally complete, Ethan raised a hand once more.
Every urn flew out of the storage chest and drifted gently into the cemetery.
What happened next...
Was so extraordinary that even Ethan found himself staring in astonishment.
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